Hitting the middle pickup with plectrum

I’ve pretty much conquered the middle pickup thing by picking between the pickups. It’s the damn volume control that makes me crazy. Most PRS have it just enough out of the way. I played a Fiore in a music store. It was fantastic, but no way I could live with that volume control. The Fiore is still a great guitar.
 
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There's a reason Stevie's Number One was missing all the finish in the area above the the neck/middle pickups.
Oh shoot I have been outed!
Someone discovered my secret identity!

The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin'
That's what I said
The looser the waistband, the deeper the quicksand
Or, so I've read.
My baby fits me like a flesh tuxedo
I love to sink her with my pink torpedo.
Big bottom
Big bottom
Talk about bum cakes
My gal's got 'em.
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Drive me out of my mind.
How can I leave this behind?
I saw her on Monday, twas my lucky bun day
You know what I mean.
I love her each weekday, each velvety cheek day
You know what I mean.
My love gun's loaded and she's in my sights
Big game's waiting there inside her tights.
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Talk about mud flaps
My gal's got 'em.
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Drive me out of my mind.
How can I leave this behind?
 
I've had Strat pickguards with just a master volume and master tone. I moved the volume control a little closer to the bridge tone control.

I don't want the volume control too far from the standard location because i like to wrap my pinky around it sometimes and do volume swells.

But moving it out of the way a little is a good thing too.

Here's a MIJ Strat I put a Tele bridge pickup in and moved the volume control closer to the master tone control.

I found some Rickenbacker lap steel volume and tone knobs from the 1930's somewhere and put them on.

 
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I have played guitars with middle pickups in them a lot. I own several that have them and like them. My main playing guitar has HSS configuration. I had issues at one point with hitting the middle pickup but I retrained myself to not pick as deep. I hit the strings with authority but I don't pick as deep as I did years ago when I had the issue. Learning how to not pick as deep actually helped my playing. I can move around on the strings faster with my right hand now because I am not getting hung up in the strings taking the time to get the pick above them to move to the next pick stroke.
 
Guys, I don't have an issue with hitting the middle pickup. I've said before that I'm a hack, so clearly I am doing it wrong! :D

I will say that I am FAR more likely to put a scratch on the top of my guitar while playing blues, than rock, and especially more complicated picking things. Can't be picking like Stevie Ray and playing a fast intricate run... but slamming that pick across the strings for show, or style or effect or whatever it may be, is far more likely to put a scratch on it. Just can't do that while fast alternate picking. At least I can't. I had to figure out how to make the pick glide over strings more quickly in order to pick all notes and play fast. Completely the opposite of the way SRV picks.
 
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Guys, I don't have an issue with hitting the middle pickup. I've said before that I'm a hack, so clearly I am doing it wrong! :D

I will say that I am FAR more likely to put a scratch on the top of my guitar while playing blues, than rock, and especially more complicated picking things. Can't be picking like Stevie Ray and playing a fast intricate run... but slamming that pick across the strings for show, or style or effect or whatever it may be, is far more likely to do so. Just can't do that while fast alternate picking. At least I can't. I had to figure out how to make the pick glide over strings more quickly in order to pick all notes and play fast. Completely the opposite of the way SRV picks.
My reason.....I'm a hack!
 
My main guitar was originally HSH, but I had the middle pickup removed and split the humbuckers to keep the 5-way switch.

I grew up playing humbucker guitars so my picking technique is really grooved dead center where the middle pickup sits. I tried changing my picking to work around it but a 40year habit is hard to break.
 
Hmm I have never had an issue hitting pickups with my pick , I guess it depends on how much pick is hanging out beyond your fingers ?
I would put the pickup where it sounds best and adapt your picking to work , I have seen some players use tape on the high e side of the pickup but I believe that is to keeps strings from getting caught on the pickup
 
Hmm I have never had an issue hitting pickups with my pick , I guess it depends on how much pick is hanging out beyond your fingers ?
I would put the pickup where it sounds best and adapt your picking to work , I have seen some players use tape on the high e side of the pickup but I believe that is to keeps strings from getting caught on the pickup
I did a quick search and it seems like most people recommend picking shallow for efficiency. It makes sense but it’s opposite of how I was taught. I had a teacher who recommended picking deep. His reasoning was that you got a fatter tone by putting more of the pick on the string.
 
I often pick on one side or the other. Also, I don't pick very deep into the string, if that makes sense. In other words, a controlled attack where only the very tip of the pick hits the strings. This is a good practice anyway for a smooth and fast pick stroke. When I play a bit more loose I usually attack the thing between the middle and neck pickups.
Same here.

Also, I use Jazz III-size picks. They're easy to control and short enough that they don't go very deep.
 
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I did a quick search and it seems like most people recommend picking shallow for efficiency. It makes sense but it’s opposite of how I was taught. I had a teacher who recommended picking deep. His reasoning was that you got a fatter tone by putting more of the pick on the string.
But you have to move the pick more to get it through the strings and on to the next note, which means you play slower. Wasted motion is wasted time when picking.

I'd never tell anyone they ought to change their playing style. It's not an easy thing to do. But you might want to get a second opinion on what you were taught.

If you want a fatter tone, just use a heavy pick. You don't have to jam it deep between the strings.
 
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I'm actually shocked at just how many different picks I have lying on top of the Orange Crush I use most of the time for practice.
Many, many different sizes, materials, designs etc, all with a different sonic signature.
Sure I have a few favourites but I might have to experiment more deeply with them all and my Strat( only middle pup guitar I have) just to see if any of them hit with my playing style ( if you can call it that).
 
But you have to move the pick more to get it through the strings and on to the next note, which means you play slower. Wasted motion is wasted time when picking.

I'd never tell anyone they ought to change their playing style. It's not an easy thing to do. But you might want to get a second opinion on what you were taught.

If you want a fatter tone, just use a heavy pick. You don't have to jam it deep between the strings.
Yes, I agree. I wasn’t saying I advocated the approach I was taught; it’s just how I was taught. I’m always looking for ways to play faster and smoother so I will definitely play around with this. Ty!
 
Just been playing my stable this morning whilst the wife is out and decided to actually take note of where I pick, I don't usually bother looking.
It appears that I pick about an 1" up from the bridge pup.
Just me, nothing intentional but does explain why I will not be hitting a middle pup...lol.

Oh and I obviously need to revisit my PS more... playing just direct into my amp it's a fugging monster tone machine...fun, fun, fun!
 
I find middle pickups for myself completely useless. I really hate the out of phase in between sounds of strats, so there is that.

But never had the issue when playing a strat either, matter of picking technique I guess.
 
I find middle pickups for myself completely useless. I really hate the out of phase in between sounds of strats, so there is that.

But never had the issue when playing a strat either, matter of picking technique I guess.
Makes life more interesting if we don't all sound alike!

I'm not on the middle pickup positions often on my guitar that has one, but I like having it available if the music pushes me in that direction.
 
Makes life more interesting if we don't all sound alike!

I'm not on the middle pickup positions often on my guitar that has one, but I like having it available if the music pushes me in that direction.
Totally agree with you sir. That is why I added 'for me'. And I don't dislike strats, just only used neck and bridge. Middle PU was just for show in my guitars. A little like Yngwie uses it iirc.
 
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